The White Rose of Georgia
by mrs-emmett-cullenx3
Summary: She was the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. He was her gardener, a few years older than her. She wanted him. He wanted her. She was engaged. A secret, forbidden romance-what could go wrong? RxEm AH. M for later chapters.
1. A Discovery

The White Rose of Georgia

Chapter 1: A Discovery

**AN: Okay, so this is a new story about Rosalie and Emmett. Emily Pratt's husband has just died, so her grandchildren are helping clean out her house of his stuff. While there, Bella finds an old photo album with pictures of a couple. Her grandmother tells her their names are Rosalie and Emmett. Then, she tells them the story of how they fell in love and what happened to them.**

"Thank you for coming," Emily Pratt murmured to the man in front of her as she shook his hand. He moved along, and the next person in line shook her hand, extending their sympathy to her.

The funeral earlier that morning had been perfect—it was exactly how John would have wanted it. As her late husband's cousin moved over to the buffet table, Emily stole a glance at her three granddaughters, who were handing out the obituaries Emily's eldest daughter, Esme, had written.

"Mrs. Pratt, I am so sorry for your loss," a woman gushed, grasping her hand tightly. Emily nodded politely. Ever since Friday, when her 90-year-old husband had died of a heart attack, 80-year-old Emily had been receiving sympathy from everyone she knew, and even from people she didn't know.

One of John's second cousin's she had never met had called her up in the middle of the day on Saturday to ask her about the funeral mass, and to give her opinions on the songs that should be played and the readings that should be read. Emily had hung up the phone on her, not ready to discuss the funeral plans for her barely-dead husband.

"Gran," a light voice said beside her. Emily turned and saw her eldest granddaughter, Alice, standing next to her. "Gran, why don't you go sit down with Mom and Dad," Alice suggested, pointing to the table where Esme and Carlisle Cullen were seated.

Emily smiled at her granddaughter as she was led to the table where her daughter and son-in-law were sitting with their other daughter, Cynthia. After Alice helped her into the chair, she went back over to her cousin, Bella.

Alice and Bella had always been more than just cousins. They were more like best friends. Alice, who was two years older than Bella, had been Bella's support system when her mother died when she was only five years old in a robbery gone bad. Bella had been devastated, but seven-year-old Alice was there to help pick up the pieces.

Back then, the Swan's and the Cullen's lived down the road from each other in Phoenix, Arizona. After Renee and Charlie were married, he wanted to move north, somewhere like Montana or Washington. Renee wasn't having any of that—she wanted to stay close to her sister and her family in Phoenix. So, Charlie took a job with the Phoenix police department, and they lived happily.

Six years later, Renee was killed, and Charlie requested a transfer. He was moved to Olympia, Washington, so Bella said goodbye to her cousin and the sunshine and traded it in for cloudy skies and new people.

When Bella was nine, Charlie met Susan Clearwater, a widow with a daughter Bella's age. She and Charlie hit it off, and six months later, they were married, and Bella gained a stepsister in Leah Clearwater.

Since Bella had moved to Washington, she barely saw her cousins Alice and Cynthia, her Aunt Esme, her Uncle Carlisle, and her grandparents. She told Charlie she would run away unless he let her spend every holiday and school vacation in Phoenix. Charlie reluctantly agreed, and Bella began spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and the summer holidays in Phoenix with her mother's side of the family.

It didn't come as any surprise that Bella decided to go to the same college as Alice—after all, the two of them were joined at the hip. So, when Bella graduated high school, she packed up all her things and moved into Alice's apartment in North Carolina. It was more that she wanted to get away from Charlie and his "new family" more than anything else.

At college, Bella was able to be free for the first time in her life. She no longer had to listen to Charlie or Sue. She didn't have to babysit her half-siblings, Seth and Claire. She didn't have to listen to Leah whine about her stupid boyfriend. She was finally able to be her own person.

The weekend after school started, Bella was dragged by Alice to a party her boyfriend Jasper's fraternity was hosting. There, she met Edward Masen, president of the fraternity. After a night of casual flirting, he asked for her number.

The next morning, he called her and asked her on a date. Three years later, Edward was in medical school at Harvard in Boston, but he made sure to come down to North Carolina at least once a month to visit his girlfriend.

Bella was now a senior, finishing her double major of English and education. Alice and Jasper had both graduated. Jasper was in law school in New York while Alice was working as a personal shopper for a few older women while she designed her own line in Phoenix, so Bella was all alone. She missed her boyfriend and her best friends.

"Bella, I have a question for you," Alice said.

"Okay."

"So, my mom thinks we should go over to Gran's tomorrow and help her clear out all of Poppy's old stuff. She would go, but she has a meeting with Cynthia's principal that she's already missing today because of the funeral."

"Oh lord," Bella sighed. "What did Cynthia do this time?"

Alice cracked a smile. "Someone freed all the frogs from the science laboratory. Now, they can't _prove_ it was her, but no one else told the principal he would be sorry three days earlier unless he let the frogs go."

Bella laughed. "Yeah, that does sound like something she would do.Do you think Gran would mind if Edward came?" she asked, leaning back against her boyfriend. Edward smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"No. The more, the merrier. Besides, Jasper is coming with me."

The four of them continued to talk while Emily Pratt looked on from across the room.

"Mom," Esme said. Emily turned to look at her daughter. "Mom, are you going to be okay."

"I knew your father since I was 20 years old," Emily said quietly. "That's three-quarters of my life. And now he's gone, and I won't see him again until I leave this earth, too. He was the love of my life for 60 years. For the first time _ever_, I am going to be alone."

"Oh, Mom," Esme sighed, putting her arm around the old woman. "I can send Alice and Bella to stay with you while they're here. And they'll be there tomorrow to help you go through Dad's things."

"Go through?" Emily asked with a confused tone.

"Well, yeah. It's not good for you to have all his old books and clothes and other things he had in the house with you—it will just make you dwell on missing him. No, Alice and Bella will help you go through it and give it away or sell it or whatever you want to do with it."

"Okay," Emily said to her daughter. Right then, a man walked over with a blonde woman on his arm and two eight-year-old kids with him.

"Emily, I'm very sorry about John. Bella called us a few days ago to tell us. John was a wonderful man—he always invited me to go fishing with him—even after Renee passed." Emily nodded at her former son-in-law. She had never been a fan of Charlie's ever since he moved Bella away from her family. But her husband had always liked him. Charlie was like the son John never had. He liked being outside and going fishing and hunting.

"Thank you for coming, Charlie," she said softly. "It's good to see you, Susan, Seth, and Claire."

"Dad, can we go yet?" Claire whined. "It's all old people here. And Bella isn't hanging out with us! She's with Alice and Edward!" Charlie looked over at his daughter and saw she was indeed with her boyfriend, her cousin, and her cousin's boyfriend.

"Well, you can spend all day tomorrow with Bella. How about that?"

"Yay!" Claire cheered, running over to tell her big sister the news. "Bella! Bella! Guess what?"

"What's that?" Bella asked, bending her knees so she was at eye level with Claire.

"Daddy said I get to spend _all_ day with you tomorrow!"

Bella's eyes narrowed. "He said that?" she asked, controlling the anger in her voice. Even when she wasn't home, Charlie was always pawning Seth and Claire off to her so he could spend the day with Sue. She stood up and marched over to her father.

"Bella," Edward called, chasing after her. "Babe, just calm down…"

"Charlie!" Bella spat, standing in front of her dad. "So, you planned to give your kids to me tomorrow without a little heads up?"

"Well, I knew you wouldn't mind," he said, smiling at her.

"Dad, I have _plans_ for tomorrow! Plans that don't involve two annoying kids hanging on to me!"

"You can reschedule with Edward," Sue said politely.

"Sue, mind your own damn business!" Bella snapped. "Alice and I are going over to Gran's tomorrow to help her weed out Poppy's stuff."

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to watch the kids. Sue and I are going on a tour of the Grand Canyon, and we can't have them with us."

"But Dad—"

"Bella, just do it!" he snapped at her. Bella glared at her father before grabbing Edward's hand and stomping away. She, Alice, Jasper, and Edward left, saying goodbye to Gran and promising to be over first thing in the morning.

The four of them piled into Alice's 1969 Ford Mustang, and she drove them all to her condo. When she moved back to Phoenix, she had no intention of moving back in with her parents. She used the money in the trust her dad's parents had set up for her to buy her own place. She only lived five minutes away, but she was still living on her own.

Alice pulled into her spot in the parking garage and turned the engine off. She climbed out of the front seat and headed to the elevator with the other three following her. They got off on the 11th floor and walked to number 1142, where Alice put her key in the lock and opened the door.

"Oh, FYI," she said as they walked into a mountain of clothing, shopping bags, take out boxes, and trash, "It's a little messy."

"Oh my god, Alice," Bella gasped when she saw the tornado zone that was also know as Alice's condo. "What happened here?"

"I've been busy!" Alice said defensively. "When I'm not picking out clothes for the women I work for, I'm designing my line. I don't even let my mom over because I know she would flip out and make me move back with her. Anyways, you and Edward are in the very last room on the right. It's clean, I promise," she added when she saw Bella's apprehensive face.

Bella grabbed Edward's hand, and the two of them made their way to the room. Just like Alice promised, it was clean. In fact, it looked like Alice had only been in this room once—to set it up. There was a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room with white sheets. The walls were covered with giant portraits of Audrey Hepburn. That didn't surprise Bella—she was Alice's idol in style, grace, and everything else.

Bella flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Edward got on the bed next to her and took her hand. "How are you doing?" he asked softly. Edward knew that Bella's grandfather had meant the world to her.

"I'll be okay. Tomorrow's just going to be hard. You know, going through all his stuff."

"Well, I'll be there with you, okay?"

"I know," she sighed, snuggling into Edward's chest. Bella laid there until the sun in the window disappeared. Then, she quickly changed into her pajamas—hot pink ruffled panties and a white tank top—and headed into the one bathroom to brush her teeth. She ran into Alice, who was wearing a light-pink nightgown.

"Nice," Alice said, gesturing to Bella's nighttime attire. "You know the rule about sex in my condo…"

"Don't worry, I'll behave. It'll just be some harmless spooning tonight, I promise. Besides, I don't think I'm up to it tonight anyways. Not with Poppy's funeral and the task we have tomorrow."

"Well," Alice said, spitting into the sink, "Maybe we'll get to learn more about who he was."

The next morning, Bella woke up with Edward's arms around her waist. She quietly snuck out of bed, slipped on her slippers and robe, and headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Bella literally could not function until she had her morning coffee.

Alice and Jasper were already up and dressed. Alice had on tight leather pants, a bight-pink silk top, five-inch heeled boots, and what looked like a suit jacket of Jasper's.

"You do realize we're going to Gran's, not a night club," Bella said to Alice as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Bella, I'm a fashion designer."

"Aspiring," Jasper muttered under his breath. Alice smacked him.

"Like I was saying, I'm a fashion designer. I could randomly walk by Calvin Klein or Betsey Johnson on the way there, so I have to look my best at all times. Besides, if I looked anything less than perfect and one of my clients saw me, I'd be out of a job quicker than you can say Giorgio Armani."

Bella rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything else. Once she had finished her coffee, she made her way back into the room she and Edward were staying in and quickly got changed into skinny jeans, a black tee shirt, converse sneakers, and a plaid hoodie. As she was tying her shoes, Edward walked into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Babe, get dressed," Bella said to him. "We're leaving in five minutes."

Once everyone was ready, the four of them piled into the car and drove to Emily Pratt's house. A green sedan was parked on the street, and when Bella got out of the car, the door opened, and Leah, Claire, and Seth walked towards her. Leah, always trying to be hardcore, was in a tight, dark-blue mini dress with thigh-high boots, a biker jacket, and a small black clutch.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked Leah.

"In case you forgot, Princess, we have to watch these two today while our parents go on a tour of the Grand Canyon. Your dad said you'd be here."

"Yep. We're cleaning out my Poppy's stuff today. As long as you three don't get in the way, you can stay. Gran has a TV somewhere in the house, so Seth and Claire can watch SpongeBob or whatever crappy show they like."

Bella grabbed Edward's hand, and the two of them walked up the path and into her Gran's house.

"Gran?" Bella called. "Gran! It's Bella!"

"Oh, hello sweetie," Emily said, walking out of the kitchen. "I didn't realize you were going to be here this early, or I would have made breakfast."

"It's alright," Bella said, kissing the elderly woman on the cheek. "We thought there might be a lot of stuff, so we came early."

"That's what she said," Edward muttered.

Bella turned to her boyfriend. "Try to act mature. Now, Gran, where do you want us to start?"

Four hours later, Bella, Alice, Edward, Jasper, and Leah were sitting on the floor in the attic, going through years of things Emily and John Pratt had accumulated.

"Look at this!" Alice exclaimed, holding up an antique violin. "I didn't know Poppy played the violin!"

"It might be Gran's," Bella reminded her. "I mean, some of this stuff is hers." Bella was going through a pile of books, pulling out ones she wanted to keep for herself. She spotted a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ underneath a thick leather book, and knew she had to have it. It was the only book missing from her Jane Austen collection. When she pulled the book out, the leather volume flopped open, revealing a bunch of pictures.

Bella grabbed the book and looked at the photos, but she didn't recognize anyone in the pictures. She had seen a few pictures of her grandfather when he was younger, but the man in the pictures wasn't him.

"Alice, come look at this," Bella said. Alice got up and walked over, taking a seat by Bella. The pictures showed two people—a guy and a girl—smiling and laughing. There were a few of just the girl, sitting on the beach, reading a book, blowing a kiss to the camera, playing a guitar.

"Who are they?' Alice asked.

"I don't know. Let's ask Gran—she'll know."

The five of them headed downstairs, where Emily Pratt was sitting in the kitchen, eating a bowl of soup. "What's up, kids?" she asked.

"Gran, who are these people?" Bella asked, showing her the book. Emily put her hand to her mouth as she gasped loudly.

"Oh my. Where did you find it?"

"It was in the attic with a stack of books. Gran, do you know these people?"

"That's Rosalie Hale," she said, pointing to the girl. "And that's Emmett McCarthy. They caused quite the scandal when I was younger when they ran away together."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Because Rosalie was from a wealthy family in Georgia, while Emmett was her family's gardener. Rosalie was engaged to another man when they two of them left town. He, of course, sent everyone he knew after them to bring back his bride, but by the time they were found, it was too late."

"What do you mean, too late?" Leah asked. "Did they get married or something?"

"No," Emily sighed. "When they were found, both Rosalie and Emmett were dead."

"They're dead?" Bella gasped, looking at the happy couple in a picture. "What happened to them?"

"That's a very long story…"

"Please!" Alice begged. "We want to hear it! I want to know what happened to her—she's so beautiful!"

"Well, okay. The year was 1938. Rosalie Hale was 16, and she was the most beautiful girl in Georgia…"

_May, 1938 __**(From now on, stuff in bolded italics is in present day e.g. Bella, Alice, etc. talking)**_

Rosalie Hale was drowning.

Not literally, but it was like someone was holding her under water, and no one else would help her up. She was struggling to breathe, but there was nothing she could do to get the air she needed.

She was the oldest daughter of Jackson and Amelia Hale. Even though the stock market had crashed almost 9 years ago, Rosalie had always lived comfortably. Her family owned a large chain of grocery stores, and no matter what the economy was like, people still needed to eat. Also, since her father didn't trust the banks, all their money was hidden in a safe in their house, so when the banks collapsed, the Hales still had all their money.

Rosalie was expected to be perfect. She was supposed to be seen, not heard, and marry a wealthy man and make babies. That was her role in like—to become a wife and mother. Nothing more, nothing less. In fact, she had stopped receiving lessons in math and English and instead had a woman named Madam Poirier, who taught her how to walk, talk, and act like a lady.

Rosalie rolled over and looked up at the ceiling in her room. She could care less about the proper etiquette at a dinner party or how a lady was supposed to sit. What she really wanted to do was learn useful things. Like Darwin's theory of evolution. Or Freud's thoughts concerning the unconscious mind. Or Einstein's theory of relativity.

But no. Rosalie had to sit there for three hours while Madam Poirier lectured on the importance of using a separate fork for salad and pasta.

"Rose! Rose!" a small voice called as the door to her room flew open. Rosalie's younger sister, Lucille, ran in, her strawberry curls bouncing with each step. She jumped onto Rosalie's bed, sitting on top of her older sister.

"Morning, Lucy," Rosalie said, greeting her thirteen-year-old sister. She sat up, pushing her sister off her lap so she was sitting next to her instead. "What have I done to be graced with your presence this morning?"

"Mummy said to get you up," she said. "There's something for you downstairs!"

"Something for me?" Rosalie asked, looking a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"Someone sent you a present!" Lucille said excitedly. "Get up so you can open it and I can see what's inside!" she said, grabbing Rosalie's arm and pulling her out of bed. Rosalie quickly slipped her pink robe over her pink nightgown and followed Lucille down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen, Mirna, their cook, was putting plates of perfectly cooked eggs on the table while her mother sat there, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Mother," Rosalie said, greeting her mother.

"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Hale said, gazing upon her eldest daughter.

"Lucy said something came for me?" she asked, looking around the kitchen for the package that had arrived for her.

"Oh, yes. I had Gregory bring it into the study. Gregory!" Mrs. Hale shouted, looking around for their butler. A young man with dark curly hair entered the kitchen. He was in filthy overalls and had a streak of dirt across his forehead.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Greg had to step out for a moment. Is there anything I can do?" he asked. He glanced over at Mirna, who was suddenly blushing and fixing her hair.

"Oh, Emmett," Mrs. Hale said, greeting the man. "Yes. There was a package that arrived this morning, and Gregory put it in the study. Would you please go and fetch it for me?" she asked.

"Certainly, ma'am." Emmett left for a moment, returning with a large vase filled with beautiful roses and a gold bag. He placed them on the table in front of Rosalie, smiling at her. "Well, I should get back outside. Those flowers aren't going to water themselves. Miss," he said, bowing and walking back outside.

"Go on, open it!" Lucy whined.

"Hold on," Rosalie said, pulling a small card off the flowers. She opened it and read

Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
The grass is green,  
And no one is as beautiful as you.

Rosalie,  
I had a great time with you last night. I would like to call on you again this Wednesday evening.  
-Royce King III

Rosalie opened the bag and pulled out a gold lighter and a matching gold case, both with the letters "R.L.H." inscribed on them."Oh, wow," she gasped holding them in her hand. It was exactly what she wanted. It was no secret that Rosalie's biggest vice was the fact that she loved to smoke, something Royce had discovered when he took her out last night. And, now he'd given her a matching lighter and cigarette case.

Rosalie heard her mother make a disapproving noise. "Did he really have to give you something to encourage that horrible habit of yours?" she asked.

Rosalie shot her mother a look, but didn't say anything. "Get Gregory to bring the flowers up to my room," she said. "I'm going out to tan." She grabbed her gift and went upstairs, where she changed into her blue bikini. She threw a long shirt over top of it and slipped on a pair of sandals. She grabbed her cigarettes and a book, put them in her bag, then headed outside to the pool.

She pulled off the shirt, exposing the body every boy (and a lot of older men) fantasized about. Of course, none of them would ever get close to touching it. Ever. It had pretty much been decided by her parents that she was to marry Royce King III. His family was the wealthiest family in town, and he liked her.

Rosalie sighed and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it. She liked Royce, she really did. But he didn't really know her. Sure, he knew she was pretty and liked taking her out, but he didn't _know_ her. He didn't know her love of books and knowledge, or how she hated their town and wanted to get as far away from there as she could. She inhaled deeply and blew a ring of smoke out, absorbed in her thoughts.

"You seem a bit young to be smoking, you know," came an amused voice. Rosalie looked around and rolled her eyes when she saw Emmett McCarty leaning on the gate surrounding the pool. "Some people say that's bad for your health."

She purposely blew a cloud of smoke in his direction before leaning back on her chair. "Don't you have flowers to water?"

He chuckled, opening the gate and walking inside the pool area, taking a seat next to Rosalie. "I'm on my break," he said, looking her in the eyes. "But sitting here with you seemed more enjoyable than standing against the side of the house by myself."

She shook her head at him, pulling out her copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ and opening it.

"_Pride and Prejudice?_" he asked, looking at the book.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, looking at him over the book.

"Nothing. You just never struck me as the type of girl who likes reading."

"Well, I do," she said, slightly offended. "My mother doesn't approve, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right? Just like she doesn't have to know about what's under the floorboard in my room." That's where Rosalie hid her copies of all the textbooks her parents thought would give her ideas of her own. "You know, where I keep the 'forbidden texts' my parents think are only suitable for men to read."

He gave her a look. "Oh? Like what?"

"Darwin, Freud, Gray, Einstein…" she trailed off. "My parents don't want me to have any knowledge. They want me to marry Royce when I'm older, have babies, and be a good wife."

"And is that what _you_ want?" he asked, staring at her.

"Me?" she asked. No one had ever really asked what she wanted. They all just did things without asking if she was okay with it or not. "I…I don't know what I want."

"Oh, come on. There has to be _something _ you want," he said, rolling his eyes.

He was right. There was something she really wanted, something no one would ever approve of.

Rosalie wanted him.

**R-R-R-Review? Also, the clothing pictures, plus pictures of how I imagined everyone to look are in my profile.**


	2. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Sorry I haven't updated in almost a year. I've been very very busy with school and such. But the good news is, once my finals are over, I'm going to update all my stories. And I should be updating constantly for over a month. And I'm going to try during the next semester to. I'm very sorry I haven't updated anything, but I actually do promise to do it. My last final is the 13th of December, so I'll start writing after that.

~Laura


	3. The Future Brings No Surprises

Chapter 2: The Future Brings No Surprises

**[disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I'd be rich. Sadly I am not.]**

"_**So wait," Alice said. She had a thing for her garden boy?"**_

"_**That's not so scandalous," Bella interjected. "Alice hooked up with the pool boy when she was sixteen," she teased.**_

"_**Shut up," Alice muttered, kicking her cousin in the leg.**_

"_**Girls, please," their grandmother said. "This was a different time. It was looked down upon to be in love with someone outside of your class. And Rosalie's mother was all about social status. Imagine what would have happened if she found out her eldest daughter had feelings for someone who she considered 'the help'?"**_

"Oh Royce, you're too funny!" Mrs. Hale laughed, patting him on the shoulder. Rosalie had, at her parent's insistence, invited Royce over for a dinner at her house. There really was nothing wrong with Royce. After all, he was handsome, funny, smart, and wealthy. But Rosalie could see from this one night that he was like her parents, and if she married him, her life would be exactly the same as it was now.

She'd never escape if she married him.

Royce looked over at Rosalie, giving her a smile. She smiled back, though it didn't reach her eyes. She'd been miserable all night. Royce and her parents were doing all the talking while she was expected to sit silent. It was maddening.

Did no one realize she was smart enough to contribute to the conversation? She wasn't just some pretty face—she had a brain too!

Finally fed up, Rosalie rose to her feet, getting the attention of everyone at the table. "Rose, where are you going?" her mother questioned.

She sighed, showing her the lighter and cigarette case in her hands.

Her mother shook her head. "Can't that wait until after our guests leave?" she asked, giving her daughter an angry look.

"No, it's alright," Royce said, rising to his feet. "I should be heading home anyways," he said, looking at the clock, which ready seven. "It'll be getting dark soon, anyways," he added.

"Rose, why don't you walk Royce to the door?" her mother suggested.

Rosalie put on a fake smile and nodded her head, taking Royce's arm and leading him to the front door, walking outside with him and pausing at the door of his car.

Royce King III, the only son of Royce King Jr. and his wife Mary, was due to take over the family business on his 21st birthday. He was the oldest child and only son of the King's, so it was natural that he would be the one to inherit it while his two sisters were to be married off to rich families when they turned eighteen. Royce, however, had to do one thing before he became the boss.

He had to find a bride.

Every girl in town knew this. And every girl in town wanted to be that bride. After all, the Kings were very wealthy, and any wife of Royce's would be sure to live a life of luxury. And once his parents were out of the picture, _she_ would be running things, not Mrs. King. It was every girl's dream.

Every girl except Rosalie, that was.

Sure, she would love to have a rich husband one day. But it was not going to be Royce. She had plans for her life. Plans that did not include her getting married at age sixteen.

Rosalie paused at the door of Royce's care, turning to face him. She stared up at his face, the fake smile still planted on her face.

"So, Rose. May I call on you again?" he asked. Rosalie knew it didn't matter what she said. He would call on her regardless, having got the approval from her parents. So, instead of saying no and acting like a brat, she nodded her head.

Rosalie knew it was coming, but she still couldn't help but be shocked when Royce leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. She couldn't deny that the kiss was nice, but behind it, she knew there were strings attached, just as there always was with Royce.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rose," Royce said, reaching up and stroking her cheek lightly before climbing into his car and driving off.

Rosalie stood there for a moment before she heard leaves rustling. She turned, seeing Emmett McCarthy walking out of the garden, covered in dirt, a red rose in his hands.

"Oh, Ms. Hale. I didn't expect you to be out," he said, sounding surprised. Rosalie saw right through that, figuring he had seen Royce kiss her.

"Were you spying on me?" she questioned, looking him up and down. Royce was handsome, she'd give him that. But he was nothing compared to Emmett. Emmett was a year or two younger than Royce, though he looked like he could be three older than him. He was built from working all day in the garden. He was also incredibly tan. His dark curly hair was messy, though it suited him. Rosalie looked up at his face, seeing the sweat dripping down from his brow. She smiled a little, thinking how she'd never seen him look more attractive.

"Of course not, Ms. Hale. I was just finishing up for the day," he said politely. Rosalie thought for a moment before she figured she was being silly. Why would Emmett need to spy on her? She was his employer's daughter. And she was much too young for him.

"Of course you weren't. I'm sorry, Emmett," she said. "I'm just…I have a lot on my mind and you surprised me," she said.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked, looking down at her. "We could go for a walk. It's still light out. And I'm sure your parents will just assume you're out here speaking with Mr. King," he said, giving her an excuse.

Rosalie smiled a little, nodding her head and taking Emmett's sweaty, yet comfortable arm. "Let's head down by the lake," she suggested.

Rosalie was far from being dressed appropriately to walk down by the lake. She was in a lacy pink dress that fell just above her knees accented by pearl earrings and a necklace. Her blonde hair was pulled back and curled, the curls spilling over her shoulders. She had a flower clipped into her hair and heeled sandals on her feet.

Rosalie smoothed her hair with one hand as she kept her other one on Emmett's arm. "So what seems to be bothering Ms. Rosalie Hale?" he asked as the pair made their way down the path that lead to the lake by her house.

"It's silly," Rosalie said, feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, her problems were silly compared to the problems most Americans were facing.

"Ms. Hale, you can tell me. I promise not to laugh or anything," he said.

Rosalie couldn't help but smile a little. "Emmett, how many times have I told you to call me Rose?" she asked, looking up at him, noticing the sun starting to set.

Emmett smiled, and Rose thought she could see a hint of a blush. "At least once more, Ms. Hale," he teased, looking down at her. Of course he thought she was beautiful—everyone in town did. But she was too young for him. And way out of his league. She would never want to be with a poor gardener when she had the rich and handsome Royce King III yearning for her attention.

Wait, what was he thinking? Rosalie was the daughter of his _employers._ He had a job, something that was hard to come by in this time. He wasn't prepared to give that up by fooling around with his boss' daughter. Not that she'd ever want to do that, anyways. He'd just have to keep his thoughts about her to himself. Besides, that was what masturbation was for, anyways.

Rosalie let out another sigh. "Well, my parents expect me to like Royce. Every girl in town expects me to like Royce. Hell, even Royce expects me to like Royce."

"And you don't?" Emmett asked, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

Rosalie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I do or I don't. He's nice enough. And if I married him I'd have a nice life."

"But…?"

"But he's everything I don't want. He's full of himself. And he thinks he's the smartest boy around. Plus, he wants a pretty but stupid wife who will tend to his every wish. And that's not me. I know he's going to propose eventually. It's only natural. But he's too old for me. I don't want to get married at sixteen. But everyone expects me to. Everyone expects me to do all sorts of things. It's like I can't choose anything in my life anymore."

"Just say no," Emmett said, looking down at her. "Fuck them all. Do what you want."

"Do what I want?" Rosalie asked as if the idea was new to her.

"Yes, do what you want. It's your life. You should control it."

"You make it sound like it's something easy to do. When Royce asks me to marry him, my parents expect me to say yes. If I don't, they'll never speak to me again. I won't have anything left. I have to say yes to Royce if I want to keep the life I have now."

"Do you?" Emmett asked.

"Do I what?" Rosalie asked, looking up at him. She wished she could just do what Emmett was telling her to. She wished she could do what she wanted with her life. Because if she could, she wouldn't be standing here, telling Emmett McCarthy all her problems. She'd be kissing him. Or at least holding his hand. Everything about him appealed to her. But everything about him was all wrong for her. He was poor. He worked for her family. And he would never like her the way she liked him. It could never and would never happen. She knew that. But she couldn't help hoping that maybe one day all her dreams would come true.

"Do you want to keep the life that you have now?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I want to keep this life? I have a house. I have money. I have everything I could ever want."

"Money doesn't buy happiness. It just buys stuff. I mean, you're not happy," he observed. "You've told me that much. So why would you want to continue that unhappiness?"

"I…" Rosalie paused. Why would she want to continue the life she had? She hated every part of it. And if she married Royce, it would take her ten minutes to throw herself off the roof. She'd never survive if she stayed. But she didn't know what else to do.

"You what?" Emmett asked, pausing and turning towards her, cupping her soft face in his rough hand, covered in calluses from working in the gardens all day.

"I hate my life," she said, turning her face away from his hand, ashamed. She'd never said those words aloud to anyone before, and the fact that she was telling her gardener this embarrassed her. "Everyone expects me to do what they want. But no one ever asks me what I want to do."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Emmett asked her, extending his arm to her again. Rosalie took it and the two resumed their walk.

"Anything and everything. I want to learn about things that are important, not which fork you use first at a dinner party. I want to have freedom to do what I want with my life, not become a wife at sixteen. I want to get a job and help people, not stay home and raise children my whole life. Does that sound silly to you?" she asked.

Emmett shook his head. "Of course it doesn't. You sound like every girl I know who's just curious about what the world has to offer. You're still young. You should be able to do what you want, not what someone else wants," he said, turning and leading her back up towards her house.

Emmett came to a stop outside the front where his motorbike was parked, turning towards Rosalie. "Here," he said, handing her the red rose in his hands. "A rose for a Rose," he joked, his hand lingering on her bare arm a moment longer than it should have.

He instantly pulled away, knowing her wasn't being appropriate. "I should head home," he said, seeing the dark sky above their heads. "You'll think about what I said?" he asked, walking over to his bike. Rosalie followed.

"I wish I could, Emmett. But I can't. My life's been planned for me. I'll say yes when Royce asks me to marry him. It's been decided," she sighed, looking at him with sad eyes.

Emmett climbed on his bike, looking down at her. "Just think about it," he said, pulling his helmet on. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, turning his bike on and peeling away. Rosalie swore she heard him shout 'bye, Rose!', but she figured she was just imagining it. The single rose still in her hand, Rosalie headed back inside.

Her parents, of course, were both waiting anxiously for her. "Well?" her mother asked, practically jumping in excitement.

"He kissed me," Rosalie said with a sigh.

She winced as her mother squealed. "Oh Rosalie, this is wonderful! A marriage proposal can't be far off. Now, tomorrow I want you to go down to the store and bring Royce something to eat. And you leave those nasty cigarettes behind. Royce doesn't need to see that nasty habit of yours," she scolded.

Rosalie nodded her head obediently, not saying a word. She knew her protests wouldn't do any good. She thought about what Emmett said, but put it in the back of her mind. It was silly. She should just accept her place in life and live it. There was no choice when it came to her life. She'd marry Royce when he asked for her hand. That was that.

Rosalie strolled up the stairs to her room, shutting the door behind her and slipped out of her shoes, unzipping her dress and letting it fall to the floor. She changed into her nightgown, pulling the flower out of her hair, letting her curls fall loose.

Rosalie took a look at the rose lying across her vanity before picking it up, setting it in the vase in her room that was filled with white lilies. She smiled as she looked at it, climbing into her bed. She didn't know why, but that goofy and adorable Emmett McCarthy could always make her smile.

She fell asleep shortly after that, Emmett McCarthy still on her mind.

xxxxx

"Lizzy, I'm home!" Emmett called, walking into the house he shared with his kid sister. It was a tiny house—more of a shack, actually—but it was somewhere to live. It was more than most people had, and he was grateful for that.

A dark haired seventeen-year-old came running into the main room, a huge smile on her face. She was tall and lanky, still dressed in her uniform. "Em!" she laughed, throwing her arms around her older brother and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey kid," he laughed, kissing her on the top of her head. "How was work?" he asked, taking a seat on their beat-up couch, grabbing a beer from the bucket sitting on the table. He opened it, taking a long drink.

Elizabeth, known to everyone else as Lizzy, flopped onto the couch next to her brother, kicking her shoes off and rested her feet on the table. "Tiring as hell, like usual," she said, looking over at him. "Vera's brother asked me out again," she sighed.

Emmett let out a laugh. "Why don't you just say yes?" he asked. "You clearly like him. And he's made it obvious that he likes you."

Lizzy shrugged her shoulders. "Because I don't want to marry him. I want to get out of here, and if I say yes, I'll end up married to him in a year. I want to go to California, be an actress, and marry Clark Gable," she joked.

Emmett shook his head. "You're ridiculous. It's never going to happen."

"Speaking of things that are never going to happen, how was the princess today?" Lizzy asked, unable to hide her distaste. She would never understand why her brother liked Rosalie Hale. She was unpleasant. And a spoiled rich brat. Lizzy hated her.

"Her name's Rose. And we actually went on a walk tonight. But you're right, it's never going to happen. She's going to marry Royce King III and be miserable her whole life. I just wish there was something I could do to save her from that," he sighed, getting up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Bed. I have a lot on my mind," he said. "You can head out with Vera if you want. Just be back by midnight," he said, shutting the door to his room and flopping onto his bed, thoughts of Rosalie clouding his mind.

It was wrong. She was younger than his sister. She was the daughter of the family he worked for. She was rich, and she was going to end up marrying Royce. Emmett had no chance.

But she was beautiful. And funny. And smart. Plus, she wasn't like the rest of them. She wanted to make something of her life.

But she never would. Unless she stood up for herself, she would be stuck in the life she had until she died. And since she'd never stick up for herself, she'd end up married to Royce by the end of the year.

And there was nothing Emmett could do to help her.

"_**Wait, he liked her too?" Bella asked.**_

"_**Of course he did," Edward said, rolling his eyes. "Look at her," he said, pointing to the picture. "She was beautiful. I don't blame him for liking her."**_

"_**But how did they ever get together?" Alice asked. "I mean, she sounds like she was reluctant to go against what her parents wanted. Even if she did like the garden boy, why would she choose him over the guy who could give her anything she wanted?"**_

"_**She chose the guy who gave her everything she wanted," Emily said, looking at both her grand-daughters. "It just took her awhile to realize that Emmett was everything she wanted."**_

**Review please?**

**Also, Rosalie's dinner outfit is in my profile**


	4. Everything Has a Price

Chapter 3: Everything Has a Price

"Rose, get out of bed!" Rosalie heard her mother shout. She groaned, rolling over in her bed and glanced at her clock. It was almost nine in the morning. Rosalie shook her head. She didn't see why her mother insisted on waking her up this early. She didn't have any kinds of lessons until the afternoon, and she hadn't fallen asleep until late the night before.

Rosalie sighed, climbing out of her bed and wrapped her robe around her body. "What is it mother?" she asked, opening the door to her room and walking out into the hall. Her slippers made clicking sounds on the wooden floors of the hall as she walked in search of her mother.

"Rosalie, there you are," her mother said exasperated, fixing her harsh gaze on her eldest daughter. "Get dressed. You should have left half an hour ago!"

Rosalie looked up at her mother with a confused expression. "Left for where, mother?" she asked, yawning loudly.

Mrs. Hale let out an exasperated sigh. "Your father left his lunch here. I need you to head to the store and bring it to him. And wear that yellow dress. You look so pretty in it!" she said, walking away.

"Mother, just get Victor to do it," she said, naming one of their servants. She had no desire to go into town just to bring her father his lunch.

Mrs. Hale let out a laugh. "I'm not sending Victor into the store to bring your father his lunch. You can do it. I'll have Harold drive you into town," she said.

Rosalie sighed, though nodded her head. She knew there was no way to get out of what her mother wanted her to do. So, with a reluctant sigh, Rosalie headed back into her room.

She changed into a yellow and white polka-dotted dress that had a belt around her waist. As she did her makeup, Marie fixed her hair, pinning her curls back and securing them with a yellow ribbon. She pulled her brown shoes on, then finished the looked with a gold necklace and matching earrings.

Once she was dressed, Rosalie grabbed her lace umbrella and headed downstairs. Her mother handed her a tin container which held her father's lunch, then told her to be on her way.

Rosalie headed out to the front, holding her umbrella over her head as she waited for Harold to bring the car up. It was sunny out, and Rosalie didn't like the sun being in her eyes. Even though she spent a good amount of her time at the pool, she avoided the sun when she wasn't in her swim suit.

Of course, since he seemed to be everywhere she was, Emmett McCarthy appeared next to her. "Good morning, Miss Hale," he greeted, giving her a warm smile.

_**Bella let out a small laugh. "He's like, stalking her," she joked. "If that happened today, she could have him arrested."**_

"_**Oh, stop Bella," Alice scolded. "He seems sweet."**_

"_**So, you're telling me you wouldn't find it creepy if some guy who worked for you showed up everywhere you were," Bella challenged.**_

"_**I'm not saying that," Alice said. "I just mean that Emmett seems harmless. He just has a crush on her. He's not doing anything to hurt her…right?" she asked, looking up at her grandmother.**_

_**Emily shook her head. "Of course not. Emmett would have rather died then hurt Rose. Even though he didn't want to admit it to himself, he cared for her deeply. **_

"Oh, Emmett," Rosalie said, a smile forming on her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just working on the flowers out front," he said, gesturing to the rows of tulips that graced the front yard of her home. "After all, I have to give them plenty of water to make sure they don't die in this heat. Going somewhere?" he asked, taking in her appearance.

"Yes, my father left his lunch here. So Mother is sending me to the store to bring it to him. I'm just waiting for Harold to bring the car up and drive me," she explained.

Emmett gave her a funny look. "She's sending you to do that? Why doesn't she just get Victor or someone else to do that?"

Rosalie grinned, glad to see someone else had her point of view. "That's why I told her, but she insisted I go. I don't see why. I was sleeping and she woke me up to run an errand. That's what we have the help for—no offense," she added, realizing she was talking to someone she considered the help.

"None taken," Emmett said, dusting his dirty hands off on his jeans. "You know, I've been thinking over what we talked about last week," he said, referring to their walk around the lake. "When you return home, would you meet me out back? I have something I want to show you."

"Show me?" she asked.

"Yes, show you. That's all I'm going to say. Oh, here comes Harold," he said, seeing the black car drive up to them. Emmett took Rosalie's hand, kissing the back of it. "I'll be waiting for you," he said quietly before releasing his hold on her and heading back to work.

Rosalie, with pink cheeks, climbed into the car, gently fingering the spot where Emmett's lips had been a moment earlier. No, she scolded herself. She couldn't think like this. Emmett worked for her family. She was supposed to love Royce. He was the one she was dating, after all.

Rosalie sighed, knowing that wasn't how things were turning out. Rosalie had now gone out with Royce a few times and kissed him goodnight each time. Yet, it was her walk with Emmett that she thought about at night before she fell asleep. It was Emmett's face she saw in her dreams. And, when she pictured her future wedding, it was Emmett she saw standing next to her.

She was being silly, of course. It was just an innocent crush.

But it wasn't. She had fallen hard for Emmett, and she couldn't make her feelings for him go away, no matter how hard she tried.

And she had tried. She tried not thinking about him, but his goofy face still came into her mind every night. She just wished it wouldn't. How was she supposed to marry Royce when someone else had a hold on her heart?

Rosalie played around with her necklace as Harold drove through town. She looked out the window, looking sympathetically at the people desperately selling fruit on the side of the road, hoping for enough money so their family could eat that night.

Rosalie called forward to Harold and asked him to stop. She got out of the car, walking over to the destitute woman who was selling apples. The woman took in Rosalie's appearance, a mixture of jealousy and hatred crossing her face. Why did this girl get to live the life of luxury while she was begging on the streets?

"Ma'am? I'd like to buy everything you're selling," Rosalie said, handing her a wad of cash.

The woman looked up at her before handing her the sack of apples. "God bless you," she whispered, looking at the money. Her three children, who were sitting on the side of the road, looked up at the beautiful stranger in awe, then at their mother as she began weeping.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Rosalie asked, handing the bag of apples to Harold, instructing him to place them in the car.

"It's just been so hard. No one ever buys anything from me," she said, taking a seat on the side. Rosalie adjusted her dress before sitting next to her.

"I can't understand what you and your family are going through, but I can maybe help somewhat. Would you like a job?" she asked.

The woman looked up at her. "What?" she asked.

"My father owns a chain of grocery stores. And I'm sure he can find somewhere for you to work there. And the man I'm dating—his family owns a few apartment buildings, among other things. I can talk to him about giving you a place to live—free of charge until you have enough money to afford it, of course," she said.

"Oh my goodness, thank you, you lovely child."

"Here, come with me," she said, gesturing to the car. "I'm on my way to see my father right now." The woman and her children climbed in the car, Rosalie following behind them. Harold started driving again.

During the drive, Rosalie learned more about the woman—whose name was Mary. She hadn't always been like this. Her husband had a job working in the mines. Then, the shaft he was working in collapsed, and he was killed. She and her children lost their house and ran out of money shortly after. She was selling apples and stealing to get by. More than once, she thanked Rosalie as they drove to her father's store.

When the car came to a stop, Rosalie told Mary and her children to wait as she spoke to her father. Rose grabbed her umbrella and her father's lunch, heading inside.

She looked around at the full store, glad to see her father still had business, despite the bad times. She spotted him, telling one of the girls who worked for him to restock the fruit. She nodded, walking away.

"Daddy!" Rosalie walled, walking up to him.

"Rose?" What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Mother said you left your lunch at home," she said, handing him the tin.

Her father smiled, laughing a little. "Yes, I suppose I did leave that at home. Did Harold drive you?" he asked.

Rose nodded her head before biting her lip. "Daddy, I need to ask you a question. Are you hiring?" she asked.

"Rose? You don't need a job here."

"It's not for me. It's for…a friend," she said.

"Well, my one stock girl moved, so I could use one. Why don't you tell her to come in next week and—"

"She's here right now, Daddy. I can go get her," she said.

Jackson nodded his head. "Yes, go on and do that," he said, looking at his daughter curiously. Rosalie headed outside for a minute, and then returned with Mary and her children.

"Daddy, please. She's desperate," Rosalie pleaded.

Jackson looked at his daughter, the woman, and her children. "Carl!" he called. One of the managers came over to them. "Can you take this woman and children to my office. Get them something to eat. And get her a uniform," he said.

Mary smiled. "Oh, thank you so much, sir," she said as Carl led them away.

Rosalie smiled up at her father, hugging him. "Thank you, Daddy," she said. He smiled down at her, hugging her back.

"I think someone's here to see you," he said. Rose turned, looking at Royce.

"Royce?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't a man shop for groceries?" he joked. Rose's father smiled, kissing the top of her head before going back to work. Royce came up, taking Rosalie's hand. "I would like a word," he said. Rosalie nodded, following him out back, taking a seat on one of the benches.

"What is it, Royce?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Well, as you may or may not know, the governor's ball is next week, and my family has been invited to go."

"Oh, how nice," she said, confused as to why he was telling her this. "I'm not sure why this warranted a visit to the grocery store to see me," she said.

Royce laughed quietly. "Oh, Rose. You can be so silly," he teased. "I needed to see you because I was hoping you'd come as my date."

"Your date?" she asked, smiling a little. "Of course. I'd love to, Royce," she said. Royce grinned, leaning down to kiss her. "Wait," she said, holding her hand up in front of his lips. "There's something I need to ask you first."

"Okay?" he asked, not sure what she could need to ask him.

"Your family's apartment complex—would it be possible to get an apartment for a friend? And, maybe not have her pay rent until she gets back on her feet? She doesn't have much money right now. Daddy just gave her a job, but it's going to take a bit for her to get enough to afford the place."

Royce sighed. "I don't know, Rosalie. That's a lot to ask."

"Please," she begged. "She has two children. I don't want her to have to live on the streets," she said.

Royce considered this for a moment. "If I do this for you," he said. "Will you do something for me?"

Rosalie nodded her head eagerly. "Of course. I'll do anything for you," she said, looking up at him.

Royce smiled. But it wasn't a normal smile. It was more of a smirk. He took Rosalie's hand in his, looking down at her. "Great. Then get on your knees," he instructed.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Rose, you just said you were going to do something for me," he said in the kind of voice one would use when talking to a child. "So, on your knees," he said again.

Rosalie, getting the sense that things weren't right, did as he said. What could he want her to do for him if she was on her knees?

Royce reached down, pulling the zipper to his pants down and pulled himself out. Rosalie's eyes widened. "Royce…" she said quietly. This was not okay. She was sixteen, and a virgin. Her mother had always said good girls waited until they were married. "I'm a virgin," she whispered.

Royce gave her another smirk. "I know. Don't worry; you're still going to be a virgin after this. Now, touch it," he ordered, though his voice was no longer gentle. It was harsh and commanding, like the way a general would speak to his troops.

Rosalie, her hand shaking, did as he said. She was scared. She'd never been in this kind of position before. And this didn't feel right. This was wrong.

Royce pushed his hips forward a bit, looking down at her. "Kiss it," he ordered.

Rosalie felt tears falling down her face. "Please, Royce," she whispered.

"Do it," he growled. Rosalie, still crying, leaned forward to do what he said. Though he took the opportunity to grab her head and force himself into her mouth. She tried pulling away, but he was holding her head there. She gagged, feeling sick.

The whole thing lasted five minutes. When he was done, Royce was at least kind enough to not come in her mouth. He pulled out of her mouth, exploding on her dress. She looked down at the sticky white spot on her dress and buried her face in her hands as she cried. Her hair was ruined, her makeup smeared, and she felt dirty.

_**Bella, Alice, and everyone else sat there with their mouths open. "He…oh my god," Alice said, making a disgusted face. "He actually did that to her?"**_

_**Emily nodded her head. "Yes, he did. Royce wasn't as nice as everyone thought he was."**_

"_**What did you think of him, Gran?" Bella asked. **_

"_**Me?" she asked. Her granddaughters nodded their heads. "He seemed nice when I first met him. But after a while, I could tell that he wasn't nice at all," she said. "It's too bad I didn't know sooner," she said.**_

"_**Did you know Rosalie?" Alice asked.**_

"_**I saw her once or twice. She and I didn't run in the same circles. I wasn't very wealthy," she said. "Though she always seemed like a sweet person to me."**_

"I should go home," she said quietly, rising to her feet. She couldn't even look at Royce, she was so ashamed. How could she have let him do that to her? She should have pushed him off. But he was so much stronger.

Royce nodded, taking Rosalie's arm. His touch burned, but she didn't pull away. She knew not to. Royce walked her outside, pausing at her car. "I'll pick you up Friday for dinner," he said, leaning down and kissing her softly. "We'll be over next Wednesday at five to pick you up for the ball. I can't wait to see you all dressed up," he said, his fingers running up and down her arm.

Rosalie nodded her head slowly, climbing into the car, shutting the door behind her. As Harold drove her home, Rosalie cried in the back seat of the car. Though, as they got closer to home, she calmed down, fixing her hair and makeup. But she didn't know what to do about the spot on her dress. It had dried, and now wasn't coming out.

When Harold opened the door to the car, she stepped out, trying to hide the spot with the belt on her dress. It mostly worked, but was still slightly visible.

Rosalie was so upset when she arrived that she almost forgot about her meeting with Emmett in the back.

She remembered, of course, after she made it up to her room and saw a bouquet of roses sitting on her bed. She walked over, picking them up. There was no card, just a small little note that read 'Emmett'.

Hitting her forehead, Rosalie rushed out of her room, heading down the stairs and sneaking out back. Luckily, her mother was too busy with her sister to notice Rosalie.

Rose hurried across the back lawn, looking around for Emmett. She didn't see him anywhere. She prayed he hadn't gone home—she'd been a lot longer at the store than she planned, after all.

She heard a rustling sound behind her and jumped. Emmett laughed, coming out from behind the large oak tree Rosalie sometimes sat under. "Emmett!" she breathed. "Don't sneak up on me like that. You scared me," she said, reaching out and taking his arm. "So, what is this thing you want to show me?" she asked, walking with him as he led her away from the back yard and into the woods.

Emmett chuckled under his breath. "I can't very well tell you, now can I, Miss Hale?" he joked. "It wouldn't be a surprise then," he said, pushing a branch to the side as he led her deeper into the woods.

Rosalie shivered nervously, a bit on edge after leaving Royce. She wasn't sure if she should trust Emmett. After all, she trusted Royce, and look what he had done to her.

"Scared?" Emmett teased as the trees thinned out and they walked into a secluded meadow.

Rosalie smiled, looking around at all the flowers growing before looking up at Emmett. "It's so beautiful," she breathed, looking around.

"I know," Emmett said. "I've been clearing this place out for months," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How'd you even find this? No one ever comes this far back," she said.

"During my breaks I like to walk around," he said. "I found this one day when I was walking around. It was full of weeds and other nonsense, so I've been clearing this place out. I thought you'd like it," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Rosalie smiled. "I love it," she said. "Why did you bring me here, though?"

"Well, I've been thinking about what you told me. You know, not being able to do what you want. About your parents not letting you read what you want. And I was thinking this would be a good place to do it," he said. "You could keep your books here and everything."

Rosalie smiled. "That's a great idea!" she laughed, jumping up excitedly. "But, I'll be so lonely here," she sighed. Rosalie bit her lower lip. "Maybe you could come out here with me?" she asked. It would be an excuse to spend more time with him.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I mean, you could read with me," she said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"I could get in a lot of trouble, you know," he said.

"But you work for me. I promise you, you won't get in trouble," she said. "Please? Will you some out here with me. You don't have to come out every day. Just once or twice a week."

Emmett seemed to think before sighing. "Okay, I'll come out here with you. Though only once or twice a week," he said. Emmett had a bad feeling about this, though, for some reason, he could never say no to Rosalie Hale.

**Pictures of the dress Rosalie was wearing is in my profile.**

**Review please **


	5. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 4: Secrets and Lies

Friday afternoon, Emmett kept his promise and accompanied Rosalie to the secret meadow behind the woods. With her, she brought a few books she was anxious to read. With him, he brought his guitar.

That night, Rosalie was due to go to dinner with Royce, her fifth date with him. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to have anything to do with him. But she knew she had no choice. Her mother would never let her cancel on Royce just because she didn't feel like it. She was banking on Royce proposing in the next few weeks to her daughter. And once that happened, Rosalie would have no escape.

Emmett was lightly strumming on his guitar as Rosalie read, her eyes scanning the pages of _War and Peace_. There were certain books that were acceptable for her to read, and others that were not. This was one of the ones that was forbidden. Rosalie didn't care, however. She just wanted to be able to read what she wanted. Emmett had given her the ability to do that, and for that she was grateful.

Emmett occasionally would look up as they were sitting outside, smiling as his eyes rested on Rosalie. She looked so happy out here, and he was glad he was the cause of her happiness. Well, he gave her the cause of her happiness.

As Emmett played, he thought of Rosalie and every perfect feature of hers. Today, she had on a red dress that went down to her mid-though with white tights, a matching bow in her hair, and gold jewelry on. He didn't know how she did it, but even when she was coming outside to read, she still looked perfect.

Emmett watched as she tucked a curl behind her ear and turned the page in her book. He knew it was wrong. He shouldn't feel this way about her. She was younger than him. She was out of his league. And he worked for her family.

But he couldn't help it. Everything about her made him go weak at the knees. He was surprised he'd had enough self-control not to tell her how he felt already. He knew he would eventually—he wouldn't be able to help himself. He just hoped she felt the same way, though he doubted it.

Besides, why would she ever want a guy like him when she had rich Royce King III? He was everything a girl could want. He was rich, he was handsome, he was charming, he was—did Rosalie just wipe away a tear?

Emmett concentrated on her face as she read, and watched as, again, she quickly brought her hand to her face, wiping away a tear that had escaped from her eyes.

"Ms. Hale?" Emmett asked, never calling her Rosalie. That wasn't his place. She would always be Ms. Hale to him, sadly. "Are you alright?"

"Me?" she asked, looking up at him, her blue eyes meeting his. "Why wouldn't I be alright?" she asked, laughing nervously. "I'm fine. Completely and totally fine," she said, waving her hand in the air to show how okay she was.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," he said. "I was just checking," he said, turning his face back to his guitar as she continued looking at him.

Rosalie studied the features of his face, wondering what is was about it that drew her to him. He was handsome, of course, but it was more than a handsome face that made her fall in love with him.

He was always kind to everyone, even her. And he had no right to be. She had always been awful to him, acting like she was better than him because he worked for her. Yet he was always as nice as he could be. And sometimes, she swore she caught him staring at her. Could he like her like she liked him?

Rosalie shook her head at that thought. Why would he like her? Besides, she heard talk around the house by the servants that he was seeing Katie, a maid in the house. She was a few years older than Rose, and very pretty. She could see why he liked her. That didn't mean she wasn't jealous.

She didn't know why. She had a boyfriend, a very rich boyfriend who would most likely be her fiancée by the end of the month.

But Emmett was more than a rich guy who would take care of her for the rest of her life. First of all, he wasn't rich. He was poor. After all, he was just a gardener. But he was rich when it came to his heart. He cared for everyone, no matter what. She saw that every day.

Rosalie laid back in the grass, looking up at the sun. She couldn't be thinking like this. It wasn't right. But she knew in her heart she couldn't change how she felt. Not now. Emmett's guitar music was peaceful and calming, the perfect music to think to.

After a few minutes, the music stopped and she heard the sound of the grass rustling. She looked to the side, seeing Emmett lying down beside her, staring up at the sun as well. "You know, I heard you can go blind if you stare at the sun," he said, looking over at her.

"Right, just like you said smoking's going to kill me," she said, rolling her eyes. Emmett let out a laugh, keeping his eyes on her face. She was so beautiful, and he wanted to kiss her. But he saw Royce kiss her the other night. How could he compete with that? Rosalie was falling in love with that jerk, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He watched Rosalie reach down, pulling her cigarettes out of her bag, along with the lighter Royce had given her. He didn't understand why someone who supposedly loved Rose would give her a gift to encourage such a bad habit.

Emmett reached his hand over, pushing the cigarette away from her lips. "Not around me, please," he said. "You can smoke any other time. Just not right now," he said, his eyes meeting hers.

Rosalie stared into his eyes, the most perfect green eyes she had ever seen. And she couldn't help it. She couldn't help what she did next.

Rosalie leaned over and kissed him. She placed her hand behind his neck and pulled him close to her, kissing him full on the lips. She didn't care about Royce or her parents or the fact that Emmett was her garden boy.

She cared about his eyes, how they were the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. And how they were the most honest eyes she had ever seen. And how she had so many feelings for him that she couldn't help it. She had to kiss him, if only to know what it felt like.

Emmett hesitated for a moment. She was the daughter of his employer. She was too young for him. She was seeing the guy whose family owned half the town. And yet, she kissed him. _Rosalie_ had kissed him.

To hell with what was proper. Emmett pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her, his hand pressed against the small of her back.

Rosalie placed both hands on his neck, her lips moving with his as her legs tangled with his. This was wrong. She knew this was wrong. And yet, it felt so right. It felt more right than anything had ever felt before.

After awhile, Emmett pulled away from Rosalie's lips, smiling at her. He ran his left hand over her arm, then moved it up to her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You're a very good kisser," he said quietly, pressing his lips to hers once more.

Rosalie smiled up at him. "Thank you. You're very good as well," she whispered. She sat up, brushing the grass out of her hair. "Emmett, I don't know what to do," she sighed. "This is wrong. I know this is wrong. But I can't help this. I like you a lot," she whispered.

"And I like you too, Rose," he said, figuring it was okay if he called her that now. They had just been kissing for the past thirty minutes. "But you're with Mr. King," he said quietly.

"Not by my own choice. He's an awful person. I wish I could just forget him, but my mother would murder me. She sees my potential marriage to him as a way for her to increase her own social standing," she sighed. "But he's awful. You weren't there the other day," she said, starting to cry.

"Rose?" Emmett asked, sitting up and putting an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong? What did he do to you?"

Rosalie shook her head. "I can't. It's so humiliating," she said, her face red. What would Emmett say if she told him what happened. Worse, what would he _do_?

"Rose, you can tell me. I won't judge you or get mad," he said, pulling her close.

Rosalie looked at him before breaking down. She told him everything. About the woman. About what her father did for her. About what Royce did for her. And what he made Rose do.

She could see Emmett's fist clenching. "I'll kill him," he muttered. "I'll strangle that punk kid until he can no longer breathe," he said in an angry voice.

"Emmett, no," Rosalie said, placing her hand over top of his. "Please don't. He's not worth it," she said, hugging him. Emmett sighed, hugging her and rubbed her back. "You can get revenge on him another way. You have my heart, something he will never have," she whispered.

Emmett looked into her eyes. "What?" he asked.

"I care about you, Emmett. And I want to be with you. For now it has to be a secret, but one day, I'll figure out a way. And we'll leave this place and be together," she promised, kissing him softly. "I've made my choice, Emmett. What's yours?" she asked.

Emmett cupped her face, kissing her lightly. "My choice is you, Rose. You're wonderful. I adore you. I always have. And now that I know you feel the same, there's no way I can go back now," he said.

Rosalie leaned her forehead against his. "So this is a secret, then. I'll pretend to care for Royce. But every time I kiss him, every time I tell him I care for him, it will be your face in my mind."

Emmett smiled, hugging her tightly. "And I'll do everything I can to get us away from here. All my money will go towards getting a house or apartment out of here," he whispered. "One day, you'll be free, Rose. You'll be free from them if it's the last thing I do."

**Okay, this was short, but I've been busy. A new chapter should come soon.**


	6. No Way Out

Chapter 5: No Way Out

Over the next two weeks, Rosalie and Emmett increased how often they saw each other. First it was once a day, but by the next Friday, they were spending practically the whole day together. Her mother didn't seem to notice, spending all her time on the telephone talking to someone. She seemed to stop as soon as Rose walked in the room, though, which was a bit odd. Rose shrugged it off, heading out to her and Emmett's meadow, carrying a picnic basket filled with lunch for the two of them.

She was dressed in a yellow short-sleeved jumper that came down to her knees, tan tights, brown Mary Janes, and a white flower in her hair, paired with gold jewelry. As always, half of her hair was pulled back.

Tucked into the basket, Rosalie had put a large blanket. She figured it might be a bit suspicious if she always came back to the house and the back of her dresses were stained with grass. This way, her dresses stayed clean and no one found out what her and Emmett were doing back here.

It was nothing bad. Well, not really. It was just reading things her parents didn't want her to know existed. And then some kissing. Actually, lately, it was turning into less reading and more kissing, not that Rosalie was complaining. She liked the kissing.

Rosalie made the journey through the woods until she arrived in their meadow, smiling as she saw Emmett standing there, a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands. She walked up to him, pausing at his side. "Hi," she breathed, looking up at him, a smile on her face.

"Hey," Emmett said, returning her greeting. He bent down, pecking her on the lips before handing her the flowers. "These are for you. I saw them when I was working and they reminded me of you," he said. Rosalie smiled, handing the basket to him and taking the flowers, hugging them to her chest as Emmett started setting everything up for their picnic lunch.

He laid the blanket on the ground, pulling out the bowls of fruit and plate of chicken Rosalie had packed for them. He gestured for her to join him, and she sat beside him on the blanket a moment later. Rosalie leaned her head back, lying it in Emmett's lap as he opened up _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ and began reading while Rosalie listened.

Emmett didn't get it, but for some reason, Rose seemed to like the books that were 'scary'. So far, they'd read Frankenstein and Dracula, both of which she'd loved. Emmett had always taken Rosalie to be the kind of girl who would like romance, not monsters. Not that he was complaining—he liked these books better than something like _Wuthering Heights_.

While Emmett was reading, Rosalie was running her fingers up and down his thigh, fully engrossed in the book. She preferred Emmett reading the story to her instead of reading it to herself. She liked hearing his voice. Plus, it gave her a chance to spend a few hours lying with her head in his lap like this.

"'…He is not easy to describe. There is something wrong with his appearance; something displeasing, something downright detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn't specify the point. He's an extraordinary-looking man, and yet I really can name nothing out of the way. No, sir; I can make no hand of it; I can't describe him. And it's not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment'," Emmett read, running his fingers through Rosalie's hair as he did so. She smiled, her eyes closed as she listened. Being out here with Emmett was just wonderful. It was relaxing and gave Rosalie a break from her life.

Emmett finished the chapter, making his spot in the book before setting it down on the blanket. He looked down at Rosalie, smiling a little. He still couldn't believe it had been two weeks since she told him how she felt, that he'd been kissing her secretly for two weeks. He bent his head down, kissing her lips lightly.

Rosalie smiled as his lips touched hers, kissing him back, her hands folded on top of her stomach. She opened her eyes when Emmett pulled away, still looking down at her. "I like this," she said, crossing one of her legs over the other. "You know, me and you coming out here and reading," she said.

Emmett smiled down at her, kissing her again. "I like this too. But you know what I like more?" he asked, his fingers running over her stomach.

"No, what's that?" she asked, her cheek resting against his abdomen, her eyes closed again.

"You," he said, moving her shoulders up a little and changed positions so he was lying beside her, one hand resting on her hip, the other resting on her cheek.

Rosalie smiled, moving close to him and kissed him. "Good, because I like you more than just lying out here as well," she whispered before kissing him again.

One thing Rosalie would never get tired of was kissing Emmett. The way his lips moved—well, she didn't want to think how much practice he had needed to perfect that. She was just glad she was the girl he was practicing on now. Rosalie let her legs tangle with his, not worrying about how dirty his jeans were from working in the garden all day.

Time seemed to escape Emmett and Rose when they were in the meadow. What seemed like a minute to them was really three hours. So when Rosalie noticed the sun starting to set, she unwillingly pulled back from Emmett, pecking him once more on the lips before sitting up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rolling onto his back and looking up at her.

"I have to go. The King's are having some party tonight, so of course I have to go. And you know my mother. I'm going to spend the next two hours getting ready," she said, shaking her head a little.

She stood up, starting to clean up everything from their picnic. They hadn't eaten much of the food, but it didn't matter. Rosalie had still had a wonderful time.

"Same time tomorrow?" she asked him. Emmett nodded his head, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss. "I'll see you then," she said softly, letting him head back first before she did.

By the time Rosalie made it back to her house, it was almost five in the evening. She walked into her room, hiding the basket before her sister skipped in, jumping onto the bed with a smirk on her lips. "Mother's going to kill you," she teased.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, taking the flower out of her hair and started brushing her golden locks.

"She's been looking all over for you," Lucille said, already dressed for the party. She was in a long ivory-colored lace dress. It reminded Rosalie of what her mother used to wear when she was younger. Lucy's hair was pulled back and pinned with a flower, giving the fourteen-year-old a very sophisticated look.

"Why? We're not leaving for another hour," Rosalie said in a bored voice, undoing the buckles on her shoes and slid them off, pulling her closet door open and started searching for her dress.

Rosalie never found out why because her mother walked in at that moment, shooing her sister away. "Rose! Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!" she said, her voice a mixture of anger and relief. She ushered in a few servants, who started helping Rosalie change, do her hair, and do her make up.

Rosalie thought it was all a bit ridiculous, but then again, her mother did lots of things that were ridiculous in her mind. Maybe Rosalie was the weird one in her family and not the other way around.

Once Rosalie was dressed, her mother had the servants leave, choosing to put the diamond headpiece in her daughter's hair herself.

"I want you to be on your best behavior tonight, Rose. Don't be making any of your silly comments or embarrassing stories," she said. Rosalie just rolled her eyes at that.

She wasn't expecting her mother to grab her as hard as she did. "Ow, that hurts," she said, trying to pull away.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke? That I'm doing all this just to torture you?" she asked. "Royce may think you're pretty, but he's not stupid. There're lots of other pretty girls. Do you want this family to be labeled a joke because you screw up our one chance to be high class by acting like an idiot?"

"Mother, this is my life. You can't just control it. That isn't fair."

"Welcome to life as a woman, Rosalie. Nothing is fair for us. It's our role. We do what others tell us. That's how it's always been. And it's how it always will be," she said, adjusting the diamond headband in her daughter's hair. She looked at Rosalie in her purple gown and smiled. "There, you're beautiful." She held out her hand to her daughter. "Harold's out front with the car."

Rosalie took her mother's arm, heading down the hall with her. The two of them headed down the main stairs where most of the household staff was, watching the two of them leave. She guessed her father and sister were already in the car waiting for them.

Rosalie spotted Emmett, still in his dirt-covered shirt and jeans, smiling at her. She blushed, smiling back. She hadn't expected to see him here. She thought he'd gone home already.

Emmett stared at Rosalie. He tried to imagine that she'd gotten all that dressed up to see him, but he knew it was a lie. Besides, why would she ever look like that when seeing him? He was a poor garden boy. He could never afford anywhere that was nice enough to wear a ball gown. Rosalie was too good for someone like him. He could barely afford food for himself, let alone a nice dinner for him and Rosalie. She deserved Royce. He could give her whatever she wanted.

Rosalie kept walking slowly, putting one foot in front of the other and attempting not to trip over the dress' long train. Of course, her mind was on Emmett and not walking, so she did stumble a little, causing a stern look from her mother. But it made Emmett chuckle, so that was all that really mattered.

Emmett smiled and covered his mother, trying to stop himself from laughing aloud when Rosalie tripped over her own feet. And when he saw her smiling at him, he supposed it didn't matter who he thought she deserved. She wanted him, and it was what she wanted that mattered, really. And as long as she wanted him, he would always win over Royce, no matter who had more money.

Rosalie and her mother made their way out to the car, both climbing in gracefully as Harold started the car and drove them through town. Rosalie stared out the window as her parents and sister talked about how great the party was going to be.

Rosalie didn't even understand why the Kings were having a party. Nothing exciting was going on. Royce hadn't started his own company or anything. Then again, rich people did stuff like that all the time. Her parents sure did, at least.

Rosalie stared down at her nails, looking at them as Harold pulled into the drive way at the King's house. She didn't want to be here. She would rather be spending the night at Emmett's house and meeting his sister who he always talked about. But no, she was stuck at the King's party.

Harold helped Rosalie out of the car, giving her a smile. She smiled back, patting his hand lightly before heading up the front stairs, knocking on the door. They were greeted by Royce's butler Gregory, someone she had come to know well over the past few months.

There were hundreds of people there already, all talking, eating, and dancing. Rosalie didn't spot Royce anywhere, and honestly, she was a little relieved about that. After his mouth rape of her in the parking lot of her father's store, she could barely look him in the eyes. She knew she had to get over it, but it was hard to make small talk with a guy who shoved his dick into your mouth then shot his load on your dress.

Regardless, Rosalie still pretended everything was okay with them when she saw him. She had to. Rosalie took a glass of champagne from one of the passing waiters, sipping on it slowly. She stayed close to her sister, looking around at everyone who seemed to be staring at her. No, it was just her imagination. They weren't really staring at her. They were just looking over in her direction.

"Amelia!" came a high-pitched voice. Royce's mother came strolling over to them dressed in an extravagant gold gown, kissing her mother once on each cheek. "How are you darling?" she asked before turning her attention to Rosalie. "Oh, Rose dear. Royce is looking for you over on the other side.

Rosalie nodded, taking that as her cue to leave and headed over in the direction where Mrs. King had pointed. Royce's mother turned back to Mrs. Hale once Rosalie was out of hearing range.

"So, you're sure she has no idea?" she asked.

"No, she doesn't," Lucy said, stationed at her mother's side. "She was asking earlier why you were even having a party in the first place. She'll be surprised, I promise."

Mr. Hale let out a sigh. "Do you really think this is right? Having this and not bothering to tell Rose what she's heading into?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Jackson. Everything will be perfect. And Rosalie will be fine." Jackson shook his head, just hoping his daughter was ready for what was coming her way.

"_**Wait, what's happening?" Alice asked, interrupting her grandmother's story.**_

"_**You'll find out soon, Alice dear," Mrs. Pratt said, reaching over and patting her granddaughter's hand with hers. "Just listen to the story."**_

"_**Yeah, Alice. Listen to the story," Bella teased, elbowing her cousin in the side.**_

Rosalie found Royce talking to three of his friends, three friends she had never met before. "Rose!" he said, putting an arm around her and giving her a big kiss on her cheek. "Boys, this is the lovely Rosalie Hale, the girl I was telling you about. Rose, this is Thomas Crane, Samuel Anderson, and Eric Harrison," he said, introducing his three friends. Rosalie smiled at the three of them, shaking their hands in a polite manner.

Royce seemed intent on showing her off that night, introducing her to everyone in the room, never taking his arm off her. Rosalie kept a smile on her face the whole time, though she never opened her mouth once. She figured it was better to look pretty than open her mouth and embarrass Royce in front of the governor of Georgia.

Once she had met what felt like half of the state, Royce took her over to a waiter, getting the two of them some champagne, handing her a glass. While she took a sip, he kissed her cheek again. "I love you," he said, smiling at her.

Rosalie smiled and nodded her head. "I love you too," she said, though she could taste the lie on her tongue.

Royce grinned at her. "It makes me so happy to hear you say that," he said. Rosalie noticed that it had grown very quiet. She looked over to the side and saw everyone staring at them. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. She was right before—everyone had been looking at her.

She closed her eyes, wanting to scream at everyone to mind their own business and leave her and Royce alone. She hated being the center of attention. But she also knew that she had to be on her best behavior, and screaming at everyone was not proper behavior. So instead, she turned her attention back to Royce and put a smile on her face once more.

Royce took her champagne glass, setting it on the table beside his own, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box as he got down on one knee.

And that was when it all clicked for Rosalie. Her mother's secret conversations on the phone all day. Her sister's smug look. Her mother's warning to behave. Everyone staring at her. This wasn't just any old party—it was her engagement party. And it seemed she was the only one who didn't know that.

"Rosalie Hale," Royce said, though he sounded far away. All Rosalie could concentrate on was that everyone knew about this but her. Did all the servants know too? Did Emmett know and not tell her?

"…will you marry me?" was the next thing Rosalie heard Royce say. She looked down at him, holding a ring up to her. It was a huge diamond and probably cost as much as most people made in five years. Yet Royce had bought it for her and was asking for her hand in marriage.

Rosalie felt a few tears falling down her face, figuring it was an acceptable time to cry. Though they weren't tears of happiness. They were tears of anger. She was furious at everyone. How could they lie to her like this?

It took her a moment to realize that everyone was waiting for a response from her. Not sure if she could actually speak without screaming, Rosalie chose to simply nod her head, extending her hand to Royce, who slid the ring on her finger. He stood up a moment later, lifting her up and laughing as everyone else clapped.

Rosalie put a fake smile on her face as she had an internal battle with herself. On one side, she was furious at everyone for tricking her like this and not telling her she was going to her own engagement party. On the other side, she was panicking. She was engaged now. Once she turned eighteen, she would get married. And she had no money to get away from Royce. There was really no way out now.

**Okay, so the pictures of Rosalie's meadow dress, ball dress, and engagement ring are in my profile along with Lucy's dress. Review please!**


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